NameCensus.

UK surname

Bretherick

An English habitational surname derived from a place name location.

In the 1881 census there were 251 people recorded with the Bretherick surname, ranking it #11,041 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 164, ranked #22,314, down from #11,041 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Bradford and Leeds. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, Mole Valley and Medway.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bretherick is 253 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 34.7%.

1881 census count

251

Ranked #11,041

Modern count

164

2016, ranked #22,314

Peak year

1901

253 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bretherick had 251 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,041 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016, ranked #22,314.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 253 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bretherick surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bretherick surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bretherick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bretherick over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 93 #17,946
1861 historical 106 #20,147
1881 historical 251 #11,041
1891 historical 249 #12,813
1901 historical 253 #13,045
1911 historical 232 #13,592
1997 modern 180 #18,812
1998 modern 194 #18,451
1999 modern 200 #18,237
2000 modern 201 #18,152
2001 modern 188 #18,652
2002 modern 202 #18,189
2003 modern 191 #18,628
2004 modern 177 #19,662
2005 modern 172 #19,908
2006 modern 160 #21,066
2007 modern 164 #20,973
2008 modern 161 #21,431
2009 modern 160 #21,978
2010 modern 166 #21,941
2011 modern 174 #21,096
2012 modern 173 #21,135
2013 modern 172 #21,575
2014 modern 173 #21,639
2015 modern 177 #21,220
2016 modern 164 #22,314

Geography

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Where Brethericks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Bradford and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, Mole Valley, Medway and Kirklees. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 041 Leeds
2 Mole Valley 003 Mole Valley
3 Medway 018 Medway
4 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
5 Leeds 029 Leeds

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bretherick

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bretherick surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bretherick

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bretherick, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bretherick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bretherick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Bretherick is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bretherick is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bretherick falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bretherick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bretherick, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bretherick

The surname Bretherick has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "brēd" and "hrycg," meaning "broad ridge" or "broad back." The name likely referred to a person living near a broad ridge or a person with a broad back.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bretherick can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, a legal record from 1198, which mentions a William Bretherick. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire, a census-like record from 1273, listing a John Bretherick among the residents of the county.

The Bretherick surname has evolved over time, with various spelling variations such asBredrick, Bretheriche, and Bretrick. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling practices in earlier times.

In the 16th century, the Bretherick name was associated with the village of Bretherick in Lancashire, England. This village likely took its name from the same Old English words that gave rise to the surname.

Notable individuals bearing the Bretherick surname throughout history include Sir John Bretherick (1520-1589), a prominent English politician and landowner during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another significant figure was William Bretherick (1670-1748), a renowned English architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London.

In the 18th century, Samuel Bretherick (1720-1795) gained recognition as a respected writer and philosopher, publishing several influential works on ethics and social reform. His contemporary, Mary Bretherick (1738-1812), was a celebrated painter whose works are now displayed in various museums across England.

The 19th century saw the rise of Thomas Bretherick (1810-1887), a prominent industrialist and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in northern England. He established several factories and supported various charitable causes, leaving a lasting legacy in the region.

As you can see, the surname Bretherick has a rich history spanning several centuries, with notable individuals contributing to various fields, including politics, architecture, literature, art, and industry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bretherick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bretherick surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 219 Brethericks recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.03x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 219 9.03x
Lancashire 24 0.83x
Gloucestershire 6 1.25x
Surrey 2 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bramley In Bramley in Yorkshire leads with 68 Brethericks recorded in 1881 and an index of 731.97x.

Place Total Index
Bramley In Bramley 68 731.97x
Calverley Cum Farsley 24 348.33x
Over Darwen 13 56.01x
Armley 12 112.15x
North Bierley 12 91.60x
Hunslet 11 29.08x
Halifax 10 28.07x
Pudsey 10 77.10x
Drighlington 9 254.96x
Aldborough In Great 8 1860.47x
Leeds 8 5.84x
Hunsworth 7 551.18x
Guiseley 6 192.93x
Pucklechurch 6 555.56x
Bradford 5 8.51x
Burnley 5 20.43x
Shipley 5 39.71x
Spofforth Cum Stockeld 5 1315.79x
Blackburn 4 5.17x
Holbeck 4 24.89x
Morley 4 31.72x
Hipperholme Cum 3 28.14x
Horton In Bradford 3 7.92x
Bermondsey 2 2.74x
Bowling 2 8.32x
Accrington 1 3.79x
Kirkdale 1 2.05x
Manningham 1 3.35x
Norton In Malton 1 34.01x
Sheffield 1 1.29x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bretherick surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 24
Hannah 8
Sarah 8
Elizabeth 7
Ann 6
Eliza 5
Emma 5
Annie 4
Harriet 4
Edith 3
Jane 3
Martha 3
Elizabath 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Amy 1
Anna 1
Betty 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Clarence 1
Crissy 1
Edeth 1
Elizth 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Isable 1
Jemima 1
Kate 1
Lavina 1
Lavinia 1
Letitia 1
Lizzie 1
Louise 1
Lydia 1
M.H. 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Matilde 1
Mercy 1
Meriam 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bretherick surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 20
George 11
Thomas 8
William 7
James 6
Joseph 6
Samuel 6
Albert 5
Benjamin 5
Henry 3
Robert 3
Sam 3
Arthur 2
Ben 2
Daniel 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Paul 2
Walter 2
Wm. 2
Abram 1
Adam 1
Alfred 1
Arthier 1
Benj. 1
Benjn. 1
Ebenezer 1
Edward 1
F.Chapman 1
Fred. 1
Fred.L. 1
Geo.D. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
J. 1
Jacob 1
Joshua 1
Tom 1
Virgil 1
W. 1
Willan 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Bretherick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bretherick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 251 people were recorded with the Bretherick surname. That placed it at #11,041 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bretherick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016. That gives Bretherick a modern rank of #22,314.

What does the Bretherick surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name location.

What does the Bretherick map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bretherick bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.